Brand Identity

With over $500 million on the line, Sotheby’s had the dauntingly enviable task of consigning the world’s most valuable private art auction.

Billionaire real estate mogul and former Sotheby’s chairman, the late A. Alfred Taubman was a true art connoisseur and it was only right that his formidable collection be placed in the hands of his former company. With an eye towards showcasing the legendary artists represented in the sale, we created an identity system based on wildly flexible custom typography inspired by the mid-century modern aesthetic Mr. Taubman loved. Covering countless collateral, we used our stretchy type and mosaics of Picassos, Rothkos and Kandinskys (to name just a few) to fill everything from a four-volume, 400 page catalog to a two-story vinyl banner wrapping the exterior of Sotheby’s HQ.